Apparatus and process for making tubes.



W P. COHOE.

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR MAKING TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12.1913. 14635740 Patented D6014, 1915.

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w. P. COHQE. I APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR MAKING TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG I2. I913.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

WALLACE PATTEN COHOE, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOB OI ONE-THIRD TO THE WILLIAM DAVIES COMPANY, LIMITED, OF TORONTO, CANADA, A CORPORA- TION OF CANADA, AND ONE-THIRD TO'EDWARD CAREY FOX, 0]? TORONTO, CANADA.

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR MAKING TUBES.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALLACE Parrnn' Corron, a British subject, residing in the c1ty of Toronto, county of York, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus-z and Processes for Making Tubes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

- The present invention relates to the art of manufacturing tubes by extruding a plastic material through an annular die and then hardening or otherwise treating the extruded material to give it. strength and permanence. V

More particularly the invention is direct ed to the manufacture of tough pliant tubes of cellulose hydrate suitable for use ascasings for sausages, though, as will hereinafter appear, many of the features of the apparatus and many of the steps of the process are applicable to the treatment of other materials and to the formation of tubes of varying characteristics and can be used with advantage under many different conditions for the production of extruded tubes of organic material. I

The extrusion press hereinafter disclosed in detail includes a compression chamber from which a plastic material, such as viscose, may be expressed through the annular opening between a die and its core, and on emerging from the die as a thin-walledan-' nular tube, may be quickly subjected to the coagulating and hardening effect of a suitable liquid such as ammonium chlorid; this liquid preferably being applied to the inside of the tube as well as to the outside. Simultaneously the tube may be expanded or pufied out with air under gentle pressure so that it will hold its shape while coagulating. Means are providedfor carrying ofi this cotanks where 'it is subjected to such washing and impregnalting' operations as will yield a thine ating a viscose tube according to the process hereinafter disclosed,'it is possible to produce a casing appropriate for use in the manufacture of sausages, and havin the necessary strength to be efiic'iently fille tional plan along the line 5, 5 of by the sausage machine and thin, flexibleind Patented Dec.14,1915.

pliable as required of such products. -Fur-- thermore, the casing is edible in the sense of not irritating the digestive organs.

Thedetails of the apparatus whereby the resultabove outlined may-be carried out and the details of the process involved in the production of cellulose hydrate tubes suitable for use as sausage casings, will become clear from the following detailed descri tion which is to be taken in conjunction wit the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the hydraulic press from which the plastic material is extruded; Fig. 2 is a sectional; plan on the line 2, 2 of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a detailed section showing the strainer and mixing plates, the section being on the line 3, 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the extruding die and its associated strainer plates and fluid supply pipes; Fi 5 is a sec- Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detailed section through the head of the core of the die; Fig. 7 is a section through the extrusion die along the line 7, 7 of Fig. 4;. Fig. 8 is a representation, somewhat, diagrammatic, of the general arrangement of apparatus wherein the process her disclosed may be carriedout; Fig. 9. shows a mandrel which may be mounted below the core of the die. to expand the tube of extruded material and to assist in its support; Fig. 10 illustrates one turn of a link belt -conveyer whereby the tube may be transported through the treating tanks;.Fig. 11 illustrates one way ofattaching the tube to the belt conveyer; and.

'Fig. 12 illustrates a modified form of rolls over which the tube may be passed to dry it.

In the ap aratus disclosed in the drawing, the hy raulic press comprises a cylinder 10 having its fluid chamber lined with u. br'ass shell 11. It is surmounted by a head 12 having at its center an inlet pipe 13 through which water or other liquid under heavy pressure may be admitted to the cylinder to actuate the ram.

The ram l-l'is' rovided at its upper end with a suitable driving head 15 and is closely enveloped, in a thin brass tube having a close sliding fit through a glandblock 16. This block is equipped with a packing collar 17 portion of the ram cylinder through a port 21.

Ram 14 carries at its lower end and screwthreaded thereon, a ram-head 22, snugly fit-- ting within the material cylinder 23, and on its downward movement capable of extruding plastic material from that cylinder.

he material cylinder 23 and the ram cylinder 10 and its head 12 are all held together by suitable bolts 24 passing through lu s integral with the c linders and with the ead,

and the gland b ock 16 is securely clamped between the cylinders.

At the lower end of the material cylinder 23 is a cylinder head 24 held in place by stud bolts and supportin the straining and mixing plates, and also t e die and its core. The topmost straining plate 25 rests on cylinder head 24 and fills the entire lower end of the cylinder, and is provided with a at many holes, say one-eighth of an inc in diameter, and is recessed on its bottom face to form a mixing chamber wherein the plastic material, after it passes throughthe plate, may come together before moving further through the apparatus. The inlet for the plastic material to be extruded may be positioned at 26 (Fig. 1), somewhat above this plate 25; Immediately below plate 25 and clamped between it and the concave upper face of cylinder "head 24, is a disk 27 of wire gauze, which serves to further screen and mix the plastic material. Below the gauze and seated in a recess in the lower face of cylinder head 24 is a second straining and mixing plate 28 having holes very close together and of small diameter through which the material may be expressed into the chamber 29 formed by hollowing out the lower portion of block 28.

.The die itself is in the form of a cylinder 30 having its upper flanged end seated within a recess in the cylinder head 24 and there held firmly in place against the cylinder head and against the lower edge of block 28 by means of a steel nut- 31, externally threaded to engage with threads in the cylinder head. Within this die 30 and spaced therefrom to form an annular duct is a core 32, which has its upper portion in the'form of a cone-shaped head fitted tightly to a cone-shaped recess in the die andclamped between the die and the lower rim of plate This core 32 ishollow and carries centrally positioned therein a tube 33 the lower end of which carries an annular bafile 34 screw-threaded thereon and secured in position by a lock-nut 35. This baflle 34 is beveled to form with the beveled lower edge of core 32 an annular and outwardly flaring duct through which fluid which has been introduced into the core through pipe 36 may be spread outward against the mner face of a tube of extruded material issuin from the annular space between the die and its core. The lower portion of die 30 is hollowed out to form an annular chamber 37 having a closure 38 adjustably mounted in threaded engagement with the die to regulate the width of the annular slit through which a hardening fluid supplied to chamber 37 through pipe 39 may issue as an annular curtain directed inward against the outer wall of the tube of extruded material issuing from the die.

Air may be introduced within the extruded tube through pipe 33, this air enter ing pipe 33 from a supply pipe 40 and through a duct 41 leading to the center of the core head.

The entire hydraulic ress is mounted on pedestals 42 carried by ase 43 and is suitably positioned above the floor to permit the use of an endless conveyer 44 (Fig. 8) for receiving the tube of extruded material as it comes from the die. This conveyer may be of duck webbing and may lead to a tank 45 containing hardenin or .coagulating liquid and equipped wit a trough 45' underlying the conveyer and positioned to receive the overflow of hardening liquid projected against the tube from annular chamber 37. From tank 45 the extruded tube may pass to a series of treating tanks 46, 47, 48 and 49, through which it can be carried by an endless conveyer of suitable construction. Tank 46 may be a lead lined wood tank containing sodium sulfite solution for removing sulfur compounds and otherimpurities from the tube, and tanks 47, 48 and 49 may be of steel with steamheating coils 50 51 and 52therein, and may 1 contain respectively hot glycerin for hardenin hot water for washing, and warm,

dilu glycerin for final conditioning. The endless conveyer whereby the tube is carried through these tanks may consist of a duck web 53 passing loosely over rollers positioned at the top and'bottom of the tanks, the tube being so attached to the canvas that its forward end will be distended as by means of a Soft rubber funnel, so that it can receive liquid as the tube passes up and down in the tanks, thereby filling the tube with the treating liquid and sub ecting its inside as well as itsoutside to the action of the liquid. From tank 49 the tube under treat- 'ment. may pass to steam-heated drying inseam so on through to the end of the series and into the drying rolls. 'As a means for attaching the tube to the link belts there may be provided a cross-bar 58 pivotally connested-to each belt of the conveyer and carrying a flattened and flexible rubber funnel 59, the small end of which is shaped to receive the forward end of the tube 60 under treatment, which may there be clamped in position by a suitable fastening 61. With this arrangement the tube is progressively advanced with the chain and passes successively over the rollers 56, and its movement up and down through theliqnids of the treating tanks takes up the liquid so that it is treated inside as well as outside.

The chemical composition of the several treating baths and other details ofthe operation must of course vary in accordance with the nature of the material from which the tubes are bein made, vand even in making.

made according to standard methods is inters may developwhich, but for a thorough troduced into the material chamber of the hydraulic press through the inlet 26 and is there subjected to compression by the hydraulic ram, and is squeezed ,through the small openings in plate 25 into the chamber below. This strains and thoroughly mixes the material, breaking u any lumps and tending to exclude any a1r bubbles. With unaged viscosethe presence of lumps is not ordinarily noticeable, but as it ripens, cen;

mechanical treatment, might give a lack of uniformity in the product, next passes throu h screen 27 and through the perforations 0 plate 28 into the chamber 29 and then through holes in the head of the core and, ultimately, into the flaring opening of the die, where it is squeezed downward through the annular space separating die 30 from its core 32, finally issuing from the die as a; continuous tube, soft, flexible and pliant. The annular space of the die may vary in length in accordance withthe diameter ofthe tube, but it is good practice to have the annular space of a length'at least four times the diameter of the tube which is extruded. Working with viscose, it is not necessary either to heat or to cool the die, but if the press is being used with other materials such for-instance, as gelatin it has been foun advantageous to heat the material cylinder and to cool the die,

making, use of suitable jackets throu h which the heating or cooling medium can circulated. Y

It is an important feature of thelpresent process that as the viscose issues from the carried off for further treatment.

The viscose die it is subjected to the coagulating .action of a suitable fluid. lhis coagulation maintains the tube in a solid, coherent form capable of being handled and finished by the succeeding operations. Ammonium chlorid may be used as the coagulating liquid-for viscose. and, preferably, is applied to the outside of the tube from chamber 37 through its annular jetting orifice simultaneously with the application of a similar solution projected against the inside of the tube at bafile 34. In addition to this, it is advanta-' geous to distend the tube as it issues from the die, and this is efl'ected by means of air delivered under gentle pressure through pipe 33,'by which means the tube can be distended until coagulation is complete.

Working with viscose, the extruded tube is allowed to descend for a distance as great as the strength of the tube will permit, and then is caught on the traveling belt 44 ltlld e speed of the belt is regulated to coiirdinate with the speed of extrusion. In working with tubes of relatively large diameter, the distance which the tube can descend before reaching the belt can be increased by use of'the device illustrated in Fig. 9. This device consists of a torpedoshaped mandrel 62 mounted on the end of tube 33, and of such diameter as to oifer some frictional resistance to the descent of the partially coagulated tube, thus assisting in its support, and forcing the coagulating liquid closely against the inner wall of the tube. The air used for distendingthe tube may pass through this mandrel and, as in the case when no mandrel is used, will hold the tube distended throughout a considerable portion of its subsequent travel.

If belt 44 is of cotton duck it may be guided at the sides by rollers so that it is trough-shaped during the early part of its travel, and this continuously moving trough chlorid can be used. If for example, the

cellulose solution is a cellulose nitrate solution, a cupra-ammonium solution, or a ,zinc chlorid solution, coagulants suitable for use with these substances maybe employed.

its purification, hardening and drying. As the tube comes from the machine in the long lengths in which it is formed, it is attached I The subsequent-treatment of the coa'gulated extruded tube consists essentially in to the traveling conveyer 53, as shown in Fig. 11, and the travelin funnel 59 to which it is secured takes up t e solution through which it is passing, and this solution bathes the inside of the tube simultaneously with the treatment of its outside. Also, asthe funnel passes up and down over the rollers in the different tanks, there is a slight excess of pressure caused by the inflow of liquid into the funnel, so that the tube durin the whole of its treatment is subjected to a s ight distension which is beneficial in producln a greater ultimate strength in the finishe product than would otherwise be the case.

In making tubes from viscose theliquid of the first treating tank may be a saturated sodium sulfite. This solution is usually kept acid by means of sodium bi-sulfite. When the tube emerges from this bath it will be In some cases it has been found desirable to avoid passing the tubes over rolls hot enough tocause a loss of water of com osition, in which case after the washing ath the. tube is passed through a tank of anhydrous glyoerin heated to a temperature of 120 C. This removes the water of composition. The tube is then passed through dilute glycerin to remove the excess of anhydrous glycerin and then is dried either by air or on moderately heated rolls.

found to have lost largely, if not entirely, its

yellow color.

The tube next enters a solution which hardens it and renders it insoluble in water. A number of different substances may be used for this purpose, but a hot 25% to solution of glycerin at a temperature in the neighborhood of 100 C. is suitable. Five minutes treatment is quite long enough for a tube having a wall thickness up to .030

inches and will harden it so that boiling water does not soften it.

The hardened tube is nextled into boilwhich may be present in it. More than one washing tank may be used, and by using a plurality of tanks any from the glycerin tan may be recovered from the first of the series.

After passing from the last washing tank the tube is :1 am subjected to hot dilute glycerin, the o ject being to introduce into the tube enou h glycerin to keep it flexible when finishe cellulose hydrate not thus impregnated being somewhat too stiff and inelastic for most satisfactory results. When the tube comes from this glycerin tank it may be passed overdryingr'olls for the removal of moisture. Beforethe visible moisture has passed away in the drying process, the tube may be rubbed with an oil (as for instance, soy bean oil) which has the effect of keeping out moisture when the tube is finished, and also tends toward greater flexibility. Finally the tube is passed over rolls heated. warm enough to cause a loss of water of composition and the consequent contraction which is characteristic of viscose during this loss. The heating rolls may vary in design and may with advantage be hollow rolls as indicated in.

Fig. 12, steam-heated in accordance with the practice of paper manufacturers, though the rolls need not be so large nor run at such high speed as for the manufactureof paper.

glycerin passing over The final product in its referred condition with the water of hydration substantially driven off, probably consists of substantially pure cellulose except for the glycerin addition, and in this fprm presents maximum efiiciency for use as a sausage casing.- It is almost identical in ap earance with sausage casings made from t e intestines of sheep, hogs and oxen, and on account of its purity and the aseptic conditions under which it is prepared, it is sanitary and presents no difliculty of preservation from putrescence when kept in storage. It is absolutely non-fibrous and is edible and can be used in the manufacture of sausages enerally, including not o'nly sausages of t e bologna cervelat type but also those intended for boiling, frying or broilin It will, of course, be understood t at the length of the tube or casing will depend upon the choice of the operator, who may so conduct the manufacture that the tube produced will be of a length corresponding to a single charge of the cylinder, or of geater length by re-chargin the cylinder fore its prior charge is ex austed. It is preferable, however, to make the tube of such lengths that it will substantially clear itself of the solution contained in one tank before entering the next succeeding one of rior of the material issuing from the die and means for preventing said tube from collapsing on itself while being treated.

2. An extrusion press for organic material, com rising a material chamber, a die associate with said chamber and having a core spaced from the die to form an annular extrusion passage, means for forcin material from said chamber through said annular passage as a continuous tube, means for ap lying a hardening fluid to the inside of sai tube simultaneously with its imue from the die and means for distending the tube from within while the hardening fluid is acting thereon.

3. An extrusion press for organic mate-- r1als compr1smg in combination a material chamber, a die connected therewith, said die having an annular passage, means for forcing material from said chamber through said annular passage as a' continuous thin walledtube, and means for applying a hardening fluid to the inside and to the outside of said tube simultaneously with its issue from the die and means for distending said tube from within until the tube is hardened by said fluid.

4. An extrusion press for organic materials comprising in combination a material chamber, a die having an annular passage leading from said chamber, meansfor extruding material through said die as a continuous thin walled tube, means for delivering. a hardening fluid on said tube simultaneously with its issue from the die and means for maintaining a fluid pressure within said tube to distend the same as it issues from the die.

5. In a press for the manufacture of continuous tubes suitable for .use as sausage casings, the combination of a material chamber, a die connected therewith and having a core forming with the opening in said die an annular passage through which material- 'from said chamber may issue as a thin walled tube, means for delivering a hardening liquid against the inside and the outside of said tube'as it issues from the die,

and means for simultaneously maintaining a gentle'air pressure within said tube to distend it as it issues from the die.

\ '6. In an extrusion press for organic materials,vthe combination of a material chamber, a die secured to said chamber and having an annular passag'elfrom which the materialunder treatment may issue as a thin walled tube, perforated plates at the base of said chamber through which said material must pass, and means for introducing fluid within said tube to distend .the same as it issues from the die.

7. In an extrusion press for the manufacatureof sausage casings, the combination of la material cylinder, an annular die at the base of said, cylinder, a hydraulic ram workingin .said cylinder to extrudemateria'l therefrom through said die in the form of a tub.e,'a hollow core for saiddie, and means for introducing fluid through said core simultaneously 'withthe delivery of material from the die.

8. In an apparatus for the production of tubes of organic material, the combination of a tubular die having a coreforming with ,the wall of the die an annular passe e through which material may pass as a thin walled tube, means for delivering an annular stream of hardening liquid against the from cellulose hydrate, the process which taneousl permanence to the .outside of said tube as it issues from the an annular passage through which material may be delivered a's a thin walled tube and at which the tube may be subjected to the coagulating action of a suitable liquid, of a conveyer whereon said 'tube may be transported while undergoing coagulation, and treating baths and drying rolis through which said tube may be passed as a continuous length and at. which it is purified, washed and dried. I

10. The process which consists in extruding.viscose as a seamless non-fibrous tube suitable for use as sausage casings and subjecting said tube to the action of a coagulating fluid simultaneously with delivery from the extruding means.

11. In the manufacture of sausage casings consists in extruding viscose as a seamlessnon-fibrous tube, and simultan zvsusiy coagulating the viscose to retain its t aizbuiar shape.

12. The process which consists in extruding organic material as a continuous, seamless, non-fibrous tube and simultaneously subjectingthe outside and inside of the tube to the coagulating action of a suitable fluid. 13. In the manufacture of sausage casings, the process which consists in extrudin v1scase as a seamless non-fibrous tube an distending the tube and subjectin it to the coagulat' g action of. a suitable uid simulith its issue from the extrusion apparatus.

14. In the production of sausage casings of cellulose hydrate, the process which consists in expressing viscose through an annular passage in the form of a continuous, seamless tube, and subjecting said tube on the inside and the outside to the coagulating action of. ammonium chlorid to give permanence to the tubular shape of the material.

15. The method which consists in extruding viscose through an annular passage to form a continuous tube, and introducing air within the tube as it issues from said passageto distend the same simultaneously with its delivery from the passage.

1 16. The method which consists in extruding viscose through an annular passage to form a seamless non-fibrous tube, and subjecting said tube immediately on its issue from said passage to the hardening action of a ooagulatmg liquid, and maintainin eflective contact between said liquid and said tube during subsequent transportation of the tube until coagulation is com lete enough to give tub a1- form of the material.

material thu's treated through an annularna-ssage-to form it into a continuous seam-' tube, distending the tube with air, as it issues from the passage, and simultaneously the. passage and while still distended and ex- 1 ties, treating with glycerin to render the matreating ,with a coagulating liquid, and than porting said tube for further treatment in the'continuou's form in which it issues from to coagulatin action. 18. In the manu acture of sausage casings from cellulose h drate, the method of sofr tening a tube 0 coagulated viscose, which solution of dilute glycerin. 19. In-the manufactureofsausa casings of cellulose h drate, the rocess w ich consists in extra g viscose irough an annular im regnated with glycerin. consists in subjecting'the tube after-suitable purificationto the tempering action of a hot 2a at passage-to form a continuous seamless tube of non-fibrous material, expanding said tube jected to the action of the ammonium v chlorid, delivering the tube continually to a solution of sodium sulfite for the removal of sulfur compounds, subjecting the tube thus purified to the action of hot glycerin, wash-- mg with hot water to r'emove soluble impuriterial pliant and drylilfi to yield a final product consisting essenti 1 y o cellulose hydrate testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' WALLACEPATTEN COHOE. 'Witnesses:

H. M. Cums'rmn R. S. Cannon. 

